For the sixth consecutive summer, a group of 40 emerging leaders from across Illinois has been selected as Edgar Fellows and will gather in Champaign from Aug. 6-10. The Edgar Fellows Program is an initiative designed to inspire respectful and collaborative leadership to address the state’s major challenges.

The men and women selected this year were chosen from a field of more than 140 nominees and reflect the state’s rich political, racial, ethnic and geographic diversity. They include elected and appointed officials from all levels of government, leaders of non-profit organizations, and individuals who are making their mark in the business world.

The Edgar Fellows week includes an intense executive training program designed and hosted by Edgar and the University of Illinois Institute of Government and Public Affairs (IGPA). The fellows will engage with policy experts, experienced practitioners and, most importantly, each other in discussions of issues such as economic development, health care, education, and intergovernmental cooperation.

“We bring the Edgar Fellows together each year expecting they will discover they have much more in common with each other than they have differences,” said former Gov. Jim Edgar, who launched the program in 2012. “Each year, we see strangers get to know each other. People who have different viewpoints become friends. They learn about and develop new respect for each other, and they form bonds that we know will serve them and our state well as they advance their leadership careers.”

Subsequently, the 2017 class of fellows will join with the members of the five classes before them and classes to come in alumni gatherings designed to increase their knowledge and help build their professional networks.

The program is funded primarily by donations from a diverse group of individuals, organizations and companies interested in promoting competent, ethical and solution-oriented leadership in Illinois.

An advisory board chaired by Alexander Lerner, the chief executive officer of the Illinois State Medical Society, helps to guide the program. Other board members are:

Attorney General Lisa Madigan

MarySue Barrett, president of the Metropolitan Planning Council

Mark Boozell, government policy advisor in the Dykema law firm

Kirk Brown, a director of Hanson Professional Services and former Illinois secretary of transportation